1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of information handling systems and more particularly to input gestures used with information handling systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of ensuring the security of information handling systems of all kinds. In response, various approaches to authentication have evolved, including text-based passwords, security tokens (e.g., smartcards, dongles, etc.), and biometrics (e.g., fingerprint readers, retina scanners, etc.). However, the recent advent of portable devices such as cell phones, portable digital assistants (PDAs), and tablet computers pose challenges when implementing these approaches.
As an example, many of these devices now incorporate a touch-sensitive screen that can be used as a “virtual” keyboard, which can prove cumbersome to use when entering a text-based password. As a result, some users do not like to use, and are slowed down, by these virtual keyboards. Furthermore, many of these devices also lack biometric readers or ports suitable for the implementation of security tokens.